You may know Utah’s mountains for their steep slopes and fluffy snow, making them ideal terrain for skiing. I know that the best place to enjoy an unforgettable chef-cooked dinner al fresco is with a view.

My meal in the Utah mountains begins in September on a deck, watching the golden hour drift by over 3,500 acres of beautiful hills on all sides. I’m on a large property Lodge in Blue Skyfrom a hotel Auberge Resorts Collection Combining luxury accommodations with the natural beauty of the Wasatch Mountain Range.

I went to Blue Sky for dinner in late summer. Wild Kitchenan elaborate outdoor kitchen that relies solely on live fire to cook everything. Food cooked over a fire always seems to taste better, and the food at this pop-up near Park City is so incredibly special that I recommend it as a must-try experience for anyone who loves delicious fine dining, communal dinners, and natural beauty.

Described as “luxury outdoor cuisine at the highest level” Wild Kitchen is a customizable kitchen and heated table concept from director Guy Ritchie. There is not just one of these; The installation can be installed anywhere, and people can even buy WildKitchen for their own homes at a premium – but this installation at Blue Sky has hosted a number of celebrity chefs on a rotating basis throughout the summer of 2024. Where guests can try carefully prepared dishes cooked with state-of-the-art equipment. The initiative has been so successful that WildKitchen will return to the facility with a new staff of chefs in the summer and fall of 2025.

Chefs cooking at Blue Sky WildKitchen use the coal- and wood-fired oven, grill, cast-iron cooking plate and more to prepare meals for a family-style dinner at a heated table perched atop a small mountain on the property. This way, guests can watch the sun set around them while eating their meals. When I arrive for dinner, I am immediately greeted with a cocktail and appetizers, wandering around the observation deck so we can enjoy the view before sitting down. (My first bite is bison tartare crostini topped with plenty of rich and salty Parmigiano-Reggiano.)

Many of the ingredients served in WildKitchen dishes are locally sourced (hence the choice of bison for the tartare) and sourced on-site whenever possible. Blue Sky is home to a garden called Gracie’s Farm, which provides seasonal vegetables for guest chefs to use in their set menus.

I was lucky enough to enjoy meals prepared by chef Hillary Sterling while dining at this unique live fire experience. Ci Siamo in New York. (Other chefs on the list this year included Sebastian Benitez of Francis Mallman’s. Los Fuegos Kim Canteenwalla in Miami Honey Salt in Las Vegas and 2011 F&W Best New Chef Viet Pham, a three-time James Beard Award semifinalist.)

Sterling is known for both his cooking with fire and his emphasis on seasonal ingredients at his restaurant, and this is reflected in the smoky, flavorful and delectable Italian dishes he puts on the table.

Dinner begins with the chef’s signature pizza bianca, topped with bright and tangy salsa verde and anchovies. We sample grilled scallops paired with marinated, melt-in-your-mouth miniature zucchini from Gracie’s Farm. Of the nine dishes we ate (spread across four courses of antipasti, pasta, secondi and dolci), cheese and potato-stuffed cannelloni with sun-dried cherry tomatoes, smoked lamb shoulder and vying for the position of most memorable bite. mustard greens topped with currants and pine nuts.

When I arrived at the WildKitchen outpost, Sterling was busy grilling the lamb shoulder for the last time, but explained that it had been slowly cooking all day. One of the best parts of the open kitchen is that you can talk to the chef while he works. Other guests and I watched as he used the fire-powered oven, grill, and heated plates to carefully balance the preparation of each dish while ensuring others were ready as well. stayed warm.

Sterling’s cuisine is based on simple ingredients cooked to perfection, and he has conquered the fickle nature of live fire. The charred onions are blackened on the outside but meltingly soft and sweet on the inside. A savory tonnato sauce is packed with umami without being overly fishy, ​​and pairs well with earthy roasted vegetables for dipping.

As each plate arrives — we eat family style, taking turns serving ourselves from large dinner plates — waiters serve wine pairings selected by sommelier Rand Elsbree. My glass is never empty.

One of the best parts of our meal is getting to know the strangers at the table. I’m chatting with a Chicago lawyer couple who are away from their children for the weekend, and sitting across from me are two newlyweds; After the second course, I learn that we have a mutual friend.

The table we gather around is made of copper and gently heated (with wood, of course), and WildKitchen’s custom design keeps the smoke from reaching our faces. A ring of beautiful cooking utensils dangles above us, a visual reminder that you can actually cook Open If you get warm enough we can sit at the table, but it’s keeping us warm tonight.

A dessert of roasted stone fruit and whipped crème fraîche, along with rainbow cookies from chef Sterling’s Ci Siamo team, rounds out the meal.

If you ask me what constitutes a perfect dinner, shared dining, meals prepared by a famous chef, and the taste of meals prepared over live fire, it makes the list. When you factor in the mountaintop view and the chance to watch each dish cook over flames in the open-air kitchen, that dinner is unforgettable.

WildKitchen at Blue Sky is closed during the winter months but will return next year with a new chef staff and unique menus. You do not need to be a guest at the facility to purchase tickets to one of the dinners; You can even stay in nearby Park City if you want. Check back Here To book as soon as possible in the spring – they will definitely sell out.